Local Running Shop: loyalty (Read 798 times)

There are a lot of reasons I shop almost exclusively at my Local Running Store, but the following epitomizes why I feel the way I do:

I bought my Garmin 610 a year and a month ago from my LRS. Paid about 10% more than Amazon. I didn't mind. The owner is the local coach and gives a lot back the community; I want to support that.

However, since the Summer, I've had this occasional problem where when the battery goes to 1/3 it starts rebooting over and over again. On the 22nd of Dec it happened during a trail 20miler (after starting with a full charge). A friend mentioned I should take it to the shop and ask them what I could do about it. So, since that day I've been thinking about it and dreading the experience and the news that I'd have to send it do Garmin and pay for it to be refurbished or some crap like that.

But here is what happens:

LRS-girl: What can I help you with today?

Me: Well, I bought this Garmin here about a year ago, and now it's malfunctioning. I was wondering if you could help me do something about that.

LRS-girl: Sure. I can give you a new one. Is it one with the heart monitor?

Me: (a bit stunned), yes, but that works fine.

LRS-girl: <hands me a brand new boxed Garmin 610>

Me: (still stunned) is there any paperwork you need me to fill out?

LRS-girl: Nope. Hope this one works out better for you. Anything else?

Now, I'm sure Garmin has some deal with them to accept damaged returns, but I haven't experienced customer service like this since the 70s. There's ALWAYS some stupid form to fill out, or a receipt you had to have kept for a year, or whatever.

Me: You've just earned my infinite loyalty.

So, now I have a brand-new Garmin charging on my desk and an experience that will keep me dancing on the clouds for a week.

2014 Goals: sub-3 Marathon

Current Status 11/10: Back to building up miles. Junk feels mostly okay. Kinda.

'15 Goals:

• Do some dus...and some CX...and some tandem gravel...and some podiums...

• PRs

• 130#s (or less)

Julia1971

posted: 1/5/2013 at 6:22 PM

+1. I try to buy everything I need from my LRSs. The customer service is great, yeah. But, the real reason is that I don't want them to go away. When I order online, I usually have to wait 3-5 business days to get what I ordered. (Or, in my latest foray, I ordered something only to get an email saying they didn't actually have it in the size I ordered it in. So, why did you process my order?) And if it's clothing, odds are it's not going to fit right anyway and I'm going to have to return it. (My blood pressure rose 10 points just typing this). I love my LRSs.

Tough times never last, but tough people do. – Dr. Robert Schuller

mab411

Proboscis Colossus

posted: 1/5/2013 at 7:07 PMmodified: 1/5/2013 at 7:20 PM

That is an awesome story, stadjak! Where is your LRS, makes me want to do business with them, no matter how far away they are!

The closest thing I have to a "L"RS is in Tyler, TX, something of a drive away. And it's not really a running store, they focus mainly on sort of "athletic lifestyle" items. Their T-Shirts are something of a fashion item in the region, something people wear when they want others to think they're athletic. But, they do have a decent selection of running shoes, and sometimes at very competitive prices with even online stores. Sales staff is pretty hit-or-miss whether they know anything about running or not, though.

I actually feel more loyalty to a store in Little Rock, near my in-laws' house. Tons of accumulated knowledge about running, in fact, the gal that helped me last time I was there is an elite runner, or what I would certainly consider an elite - she won Little Rock and Disney last year. Whole staff is really friendly, too. Elite gal hung with me for about an hour while I wavered back and forth between three pairs of shoes.

"God guides us on our journey, but careful with those feet." - David Lee Roth, of all people

xor

posted: 1/5/2013 at 7:08 PM

My sister lives in Tyler!

mab411

Proboscis Colossus

posted: 1/5/2013 at 7:09 PMmodified: 1/5/2013 at 7:20 PM

My condolences, SRL.

Um, she doesn't work at a "fashionably athletic" store, does she?

Either way, feel free to shoot me a message if you're in the area. I'll show you a bunch of stuff you've probably already seen, maybe some running trails that you probably know more about than I do (other than races, I've never actually "run" Tyler)!

"God guides us on our journey, but careful with those feet." - David Lee Roth, of all people

Either way, feel free to shoot me a message if you're in the area. I'll show you a bunch of stuff you've probably already seen, maybe some running trails that you probably know more about than I do (other than races, I've never actually "run" Tyler)!

Nah she works at "the blood bank" (I actually don't know the official name). She? Is not athletic. She is, as they say, more representative of the typical native Texan population.

I have three LRS's within easy reach, and another 1-2 if I want to drive 20 minutes. I'm not sure any of them would have responded the way yours did.

I can think of 5 in walk/run distance of me... 2 of which I give reasonable amounts of business... 1 of which MAY HAVE done something like this... MAYBE. Honestly, REI occasionally will do stuff like that here. Sometimes. But most running stores, probably not.

(one of them is road runner sports. Actually, there are TWO road runner sports stores here. And... oh hell no)

Nah she works at "the blood bank" (I actually don't know the official name). She? Is not athletic. She is, as they say, more representative of the typical native Texan population.

I may know the place, if they also buy plasma. One day a few years back, I got it in my head that I'd make a little extra money there selling plasma, maybe that would be incentive for me to get over my anxiety of giving blood. Then I almost passed out while filling out the paperwork, even thinking about having a needle in my arm for a prolonged amount of time.

They refused to do business with me.

"God guides us on our journey, but careful with those feet." - David Lee Roth, of all people

Funny, I logged in to this thread because I'm infinitely loyal to my local shop and wondered how others feel about their local shops. I should have paid attention to who started the thread - my amazing shop is stadjak's.

I didn't mind. The owner is the local coach and gives a lot back the community; I want to support that.

+1. Our LRS is a tremendous supporter of the local running community and local races. Also, they will give me a discount any time I ask, like "Can I get the Generally Amiable Guy discount?" that makes their prices competitive with buying online. Only problem is they don't carry the Vibrams I wear. Other stuff, though, I get from them.